Clothes wringer



CLOTHES WRINGER Filed Dec. 22, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 www Jan. 19, 1937. c. va. WILLIAMS 2,068,524

v l CLOTHES WRINGER y 4Filed Dec. 22, 195o 2 sheets-sheet 2 2 zo 4 n. 54 'EL ,-2/ sa 52 /0 i Elim *akku/nego Patented Jan. 19, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a wringer-for laundrypurposes and 'especially to the type of wringer which utilizes rotating pressure rolls to squeeze the water from the garment. Heretofore wringers of the pressure roll type have, for the most part, been somewhat dangerous to the operator and destructive to the clothes. When such. wringers were used, the operators lingers were sometimes gripped betweenA-- the rolls, thereby causing injuries. ManyI safety devices have been added to these wringers to permit the operator to separate the rolls. How,- ever, these devices, while at times preventing serious injury to the operator, rely on manual operation after the fingers are caught. That such devices aref not dependable in preventing injury to the operator is apparent when one considers their actual operations. First, the operator must have his ngers between the pressure rolls. Then, using this as an alarm, he will, with the other hand, reach out to release a catch or trigger mechanism to separate the rolls. When the wringer is power-driven, the interval between the entrance of the fingers between the rolls and the actual separation of the rolls, is of such short duration that the continuously rotating rolls are liable to draw the fingers and hand into their grip.

Another disadvantage of these wringers is their destruction to clothes. Buttons, instead of passing between the rolls tangent to the periphery of the rolls, tend to become caught between the rolls, in a position parallel with the plane in which the axes of the rolls lie. The garment is then drawn through the rolls and torn away from the buttons. The threads which secure the buttons to the garment, being stronger than the garment itself, the result is a tearing of the garm-ent. This destruction to the clothes is increased because of the,y fact that the operator, especially when the wringer is power-driven, cannot or fears to attempt to straighten out the clothes or x the buttons, because of the impending danger of getting the hand caught and injured. Such devices as have been used in the past to permit the straightening of the buttons by the operator, have been bulky, expensive tofbuild, and difficult in opera'- tion, and therefore have not been in general practical use.

The general object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a. wringer of the rotary roll type, which will prevent injury to the operator and therefore permit the operator to straighten the clothing and fix the buttons without fear of subsequent injury. p

A further object is to provide a wringer of the rotary pressure roll type, which may be power-driven, and will overcome the -disadvan- 5 tages of the wringers used in the past.

A further object is to provide a wringerjlof the pressure roll type which may be powerdriven, and wherein the clothing may be fed to the wringer from either side thereof without 10 altering or changing the direction of rotation of the pressure rolls, thereby eliminating the n ecessity of a reverse gear mechanism on a washmg machine wherein this device is used.

. Other objects of this invention will be come 15 apparent from the following description, referring to a preferred embodiment thereof, which is illustrated in the drawings. The essential characteristics will be summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of 2 my improved wringer; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section and is indicated bythe lines 2-2 on Figs. 1 and 3; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental elevation, partly in sections, and illustrates 25 the method of mounting the wringer rolls; Fig. 4 is a vertical, transverse section and is indicated by the lines 4--4 on Figs. 1 and 3; Fig. 5 is a section, taken in substantially the same plane as Fig. 4, but illustrating the parts in a working or operating condition; Fig. 6 is a plan view of my improved wringer, mounted on ar washing machine of the usual type, wherein the wringer is power-driven. Fig. '7 is a side elevation of the wringer and mechanism shown in Fig. 6.

Referring again to the drawings, where I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will benoted that my wringer comprises a pair of wringer rolls l0 and ll,

ciated with each wringer roll, all of which are mounted in a suitable frame structure l5.

As shown in the drawings, the wringer frame j l5 comprises a pair of end plates 2i] and 2|,

which are joined together by suitable crossframe members 22 and 23. These frame plates are preferably' of pressed metal, and have at their lower extremity a pair of downwardly extending ears 24, between which the edge of the 50 The rolls I0 and Il, which are the pressure 55 and 40 y auxiliary rolls; I2 and i4, one of which is assorolls may be resiliently urged into contact with each other in a horizontal plane. As shown in Fig. 2, the shaft 29 is journalled in bearing blocks 30, while the shaft 28 is journalled in similar bearing blocks 3l. These bearing blocks 30 and 3| are rectangular in cross section, and

are slidably mounted in horizontally extending guideways 32, which are secured, by suitable bolts or rivets 33, to the side frame members 2!! and 2| of the wringer frame I5, as indicated in Fig.,3. The guideways 32 are preferably channel-shaped, having web portions 34, which are slotted as at 35, to permit the horizontal movement of the shafts 28 and 29. The guideways have top and bottom flanges 36 and 31, which contact with the top and bottom surfaces of the bearing blocks 30 and 3I, and are provided with suitable outwardly extending flanges 38, adapted to be secured by rivets 33 to the side frame plates 20 and 2I of the wringer frame. The bearing blocks 30 normally engage one end 38 of each guideway, and are retained in that position by the contact of the roll II with the roll Ill.

The wringer rolls I0 and Il are resiliently retained in contact with each other in such a manner that the pressure therebetween may be adjusted. Mounted in suitable threads 39 in one end 40 of each guideway 32 is a thumb screw These thumb screws carry on their inner ends compression springs 42, which bear against the bearing blocks 3I and act to retain the rolls I0 and II in contact with each other. Hence, as

these thumb screws 4I are turned, the pressure between the rolls I0 and II is varied, as desired.

'I'he auxiliary rolls I2 and I4 serve to guide the clothes or garments into the bite of the pressure rolls I8 and II. 'I'he rolls I2 and I4 are made of any suitable material. However, I prefer to use a softer material, preferably ruby ber, than the vpressure rolls, so that the buttons may pass between the wringer rolls I0 and I I and their respective auxiliary rolls. rolls I2 and I4 are rigidly secured to suitable -shafts 50 and 5I, which are journalled in suitrigidly secured to each side member 2| and 22,

by suitable bolts or screws 56. The springs 53 are light enough to permit the4 entrance of the operators fingers between rolls I2 and I4, and the upper or pressure rolls IIJ and II without causing any injury or damage. If the operator should get his hand between these rolls, the tension is such that the hand is readily withdrawn without causing any injury. Because of the resiliency of the rubber of which these rolls are made, it is possible to pass buttons between the pressure rolls and the auxiliary rolls without theirbeing torn from the fabric.

As shown in the drawings, the rolls I2 and I4 are somewhat smaller than the rolls I0 and II.

laround the auxiliary roll.

The soft rubber The guide plate 60 serves to guide the garments from the bite of a pressure roll and its associated` auxiliary roll' into the bite of the two pressure rolls and prevent them from becoming wrapped The plate 60 extends the entire length of the rolls and is carried by the brackets 52 and therefore travels; with the auxiliary rolls; l lie adjacent the rolls I2 and I4 and act to strip the clothes from these rolls. From the edges 6I, the plate extends inwardly and upwardly forming concave faces 62, which substantially conform to the 'contour of the pressure rolls. The faces 62 meet in a common vertex 63, which lies between the two pressure rolls. As the plate 60 strips the clothes from the rolls I2 or I4, the faces 62 retain them in contact with the pressure rolls I0 or iI until they enter the bite" of the pressure rolls. Y

As shown in the drawings, the auxiliary rolls I2 and I4 are spaced somewhat further apart than the rolls I0 and II. This provides a somewhat greater surface area of the auxiliary roll -to be presented to the operator to straighten the side from which the clothes are being fed into the wringer.

The wringer may be driven as shown in Fig. 1, by a suitable hand crank 10, which is secured to one of the shafts 28 or 29, one end 1I of which extends some distance beyond the outer face of the frame member 20.

Another feature of this arrangement of wringer rolls is that the wringer is so constructed that clothes may be fed in from either side, without changing the direction of rotation of the rolls. This is found to be a decided advantage over the present type wringers in that where the wringer is used in a power-driven machine, such as the usual washing machine, the necessity of changing the direction of rotation of the d wringer rolls by a reverse gear arrangement is eliminated, thereby decreasing the cost of manufacture of such equipment.

It will be noted that, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4, the wringer rolls II and I8, one of which may be geared to or, as shown, frictionally driven from the other, revolve in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions, respectively. The auxiliary rolls I2 and I4 vare fric- .tionally driven from or geared to the rolls I0 and II, and rotate in clockwise af d counterclockwise directions, respectively. Th it will be seen that at all times the pressure rolls Ill and II are rotating, so as to draw the clothes upwards to the top of the wringer, where 'they may be readily grasped by the operator, and at the same time the wringer roll IIJ and auxiliary The edges 6I of the guide plate roll I2 are rotating in such a manner that the while the wringer roll Il and the auxiliary roll I4 are rotating in such a direction that clothes may be fed into the wringer horizontally from the right-hand side of the wringer.

In Figs. 6 and 7, I have illustrated my improved wringer incorporated in the usual washing machine, in such a manner that it may be swung from the position indicated at A in Fig. 6 to the position indicated by B. The method of mounting the wringer may be any oneof those commonlyin use at the present time, and which generally includes a lock mechanism to secure the wringer in any of its operating positions. One of the pressure roll shafts 28 or 29, projects beyond the end of one frame member into a gear housing 15, which supports lthe wringer, and is connected by suitable bevel w" gearingJiG to-a-drive shaft .11, whichds driven by a suitable motor 18. Y

Because of the adaptability of my wringer to wring clothes fed from either side, without reversing the movement of any of its parts, I eliminate entirely the reverse gear and clutch mechanism found in washing machines in the past. I iind this a decided advantage, as the reverse gear mechanism is subjected to excessive wear, thereby causing replacement of the parts thereof, especially the parts of the attendant clutch mechanism. The use of my wringer eliminates the necessity of these replacements, as well as the initial expense of such mechanisms.

From the foregoing description, it is seen that I have provided a novel arrangement of wringer rolls, wherein the usual pair of wringer rolls are placed in a horizontal, instead of a vertical position, and I have placed an auxiliary roll below each regular roll, so that the clothes may be fed into the space between one regular and one extra roll, and pass from there between the wringer roll and the guiding member, to between the two regular pressure rolls, where the water is squeezed out, and that I have provided a Wringer which is so constructed that clothes may be fed in from either side of the wringer without changing the direction of the rolls, thereby eliminating the necessity of a reverse gear mechanism on a washing machine where this device is used. This improved wringer permits the operator to straighten the clothes and guide the buttons on the garments without fear of subsequent injury, due to the catching of the operators iingers by the wringer rolls. This improved wringer also permits the discharge of garments from the open top of the wringer and does`not require the operator to reach around the wringer from the feeding side to the opposite or discharge side to inspect the clothes after the moisture has been squeezed therefrom.

I claim:

1. In a wringer, the combination of a pair of pressure rolls, a pair of auxiliary rolls contacting with the pressure rolls respectively and spaced apart to provide an upwardly" opening intake bite between a respective pressure roll and its associated auxiliary roll, a guide in the form `of a ridge projecting toward the path of the pressure roll, a pair of rigid bearing blocks supporting the guide at its end and carrying the journals for the two auxiliary rolls, resilient means for supporting the two rigid bearing blocks,. and guides for said rigid blocks whereby an auxiliary roll and the guide may be moved as a. unit.

2. In a wringer, a frame, a pair of guideways carried by said frame and on opposite sides thereof, a pair of pressure rolls rotatably mounted in the guideways and adapted to squeeze liquid from the work, a pair of auxiliary rolls rotatably mounted in the frame, a yielding means to retain the last-named rolls in contact with 'the pressure rolls respectively, each auxiliary roll coacting with its pressure roll to feed material from the bite of said pressure roll and auxiliary roll into the bite of the two pressure rolls and wherein the material fed between either pressure roll and its associated auxiliary roll is gripped and squeezed between the two pressure rolls without reversing the direction of ro i tation of the pressure rolls.

3. In a wringer, a frame, a pair of horizontal guideways in said frame, a pair of pressure rolls mounted in a substantially horizontal plane in said guideways, a pair of auxiliary rolls disposed beneath and normally in contact with respective pressure rolls, said auxiliary rolls adapted to contact with their respective pressure rolls throughout substantially the entire length of the pressure rolls, means to rotate the pressure rolls and wherein the work passes first between either auxiliary roll and its associated pressure roll and then between the two pressure rolls and is ejected from substantially the top of the wringer without reversing the direction of rotation of any of said rolls.

4. In a wringer, a frame, a horizontally disposed guideway carried on each side of said frame, a pair of pressure rolls with their opposite ends carried in respective guideways, resilient means supported by the guideways to urge the pressure rolls together in wringing relation, a pair of auxiliary rolls disposed beneath respective pressure rolls and adapted to coact therewith to provide an intake bite on each side of the wringer through which clothes are fed from either side to the bite of the pressure rolls.

CHARLES B. WILLIAMS.

DISCLAIMER 2,068,524.-C71arles B. Williams, Shaker Heights, Ohio. CLOTHES WRINGER. Patent dated January 19, 1937. Disclaimer filed October 7 1940, by the '-inventor; the assignee, Ww Automatic Safety Wrnger Company, consenting. Hereb enters this disclaimer to claim 2 of said specification. Y l Gazette November 5, 1940.] 

